Kaup Airstrip

The closure was almost certainly due to economic reasons. Many small, rural airstrips in Papua New Guinea were abandoned during this period due to:
1. The decline and eventual collapse of the extensive third-level airline network (like Talair) that served these remote communities.
2. The high and unsustainable costs of runway maintenance for the low volume of traffic.
3. The community's decision to repurpose the valuable flat land for more economically productive use, in this case, agriculture.

The site of the former airstrip has been completely repurposed and is no longer recognizable as an airfield from the ground. Satellite imagery confirms that the entire length of the former runway has been converted into a mature, grid-patterned palm tree plantation. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure, such as a terminal, hangar, or runway markings. The land is actively used for agriculture.

Kaup Airstrip served as a vital civil aviation link for the coastal villages of Kaup in the East Sepik Province. It was not a major military airfield from the WWII era, but rather a community airstrip likely established post-war to connect the remote population with the provincial capital, Wewak, and the rest of the country. Operations would have consisted of small Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. These flights were critical for transporting people, medical supplies, mail, and essential goods, effectively serving as a lifeline before reliable road networks were established.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kaup Airstrip. Reopening is considered extremely unlikely due to the complete conversion of the site into a productive agricultural plantation. Re-establishing the airstrip would require the costly removal of the mature plantation, which is a significant economic asset for the local community, followed by a complete reconstruction of the runway and facilities. The community has likely adapted to alternative transportation methods (road or sea) in the decades since the airstrip's closure.